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What Is Green Power? Green power is electricity produced by renewable sources like geothermal, solar and wind biomass, energy and hydroelectricity that has a low impact. It is available to consumers in markets that are not regulated and who wish to promote cleaner energy sources by adding the cost of their utility bill. Many renewable energy sources are less environmentally harmful than drilling for oil or mining coal. They can also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Solar Energy Solar energy is among the most popular green sources of power. Solar is considered renewable because it will never be depleted. It is a clean and efficient energy source which reduces air pollution as well as greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels like oil, coal natural gas, and coal. This energy is a good alternative for nuclear power which requires mining extraction, storage and transport of radioactive waste. Photovoltaic panels, and concentrated solar-thermal energy (CSP) are all methods to harness the sun's power. Solar electricity can either be delivered directly to businesses and homes or to grids that distribute electricity to other. Certain consumers have the option of selling their excess energy back to the utility company, which helps keep electricity costs low and even offset rising utility prices. All forms of solar energy generate zero emissions of pollutants or air unlike fossil fuels, which generate carbon dioxide and other harmful gases when they burn. Solar energy can be utilized to power satellites, boats, spacecrafts, and other devices that are located in areas where access to the grid is difficult or impossible. Solar power can be used in smaller structures. Many homeowners put PV cells on their roofs in order to produce electricity. Passive solar design of homes allows for these homes to receive the sun's warmth during the day and retain it at night. Solar-powered homes also benefit from the fact that they require very minimal maintenance. Hydropower is a different type of solar energy that utilizes the natural flow in rivers, streams, and dams. Hydropower, similar to wind and biomass is a renewable resource since it can be replenished. Take a look at the EPA's list of third party certified hydropower options if want to add it to your home or office. Geothermal Energy A geothermal plant uses heat from the Earth to produce electricity. The process makes use of steam and hot water that naturally occur a few kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. It is an incredibly renewable and sustainable energy source that produces electricity 24 hours a day and 365 days of the year. Geothermal energy can help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of energy generation. The most well-known type of geothermal power plant is a flash steam power station. This uses water heated to 182degrees C or 360deg F to generate electricity from turbines and power plants. The steam can also be used to heat buildings or other industrial processes. Iceland for instance, utilizes geothermal energy to melt snow and heat its sidewalks, streets and parking areas during the cold Arctic winter. A hot dry rock power plant is an additional geothermal source of energy. It taps underground reservoirs that are composed of hot, dry rock that is heated by either man-made or natural activities. HDR plants require significantly less infrastructure than geothermal power plants, which makes them more affordable and less costly to construct and operate. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there is enough HDR resources in the United States to meet all of our current energy needs. The steam from geothermal power stations can be utilized as a source of electricity through steam turbine generators or combined with gas-fired turbines to boost efficiency. The resultant mixture could be converted to natural gas, which can be burned in a traditional boiler to produce electricity. In addition to being safe and reliable, geothermal energy also has the smallest carbon footprint among all renewable energy sources. Binary-cycle plants, that use an engine to convert steam into electricity, produce very little nitrous oxide, methane, or sulphur dioxide. However, despite its advantages geothermal energy has its problems. The drilling required to construct geothermal power stations could cause earthquakes and pollute groundwater. Furthermore, the dumping of high-pressure streams into geothermal reservoirs can cause subsidence, which is a gradual sinking terrain that can cause damage to pipelines roads, pipelines, and even buildings. Biogas Biogas is an energy source that is renewable and gaseous that produces green energy. It is produced from agricultural waste, manure plant material, sewage, municipal waste, food waste, and other organic waste materials. Biogas can be used to produce electricity, heat and power and heat and can also be converted into transport fuels through the Fischer-Tropsch process. Biogas can also be used to make renewable hydrogen which is used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are predicted to play an important role in the future energy systems around the globe. The most commonly used method for valorisation of biogas is to generate electricity through the use of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The heat generated by the CHP process is used to assist in the process of fermentation of organic waste and the electricity generated is fed to the grid. Biogas can also be converted into natural gas and blended into existing natural gas distribution systems. Biogas can be utilized to replace imported mined gas in residential and commercial buildings, ground transportation and other areas. Biogas is a renewable energy source that can also help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The CCAC works to provide tools for measuring reporting and confirming (MRV) clean cooking in households of low- to middle-income countries. This will aid the 67 countries who have included clean cooking targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions. Biogas can be used as an alternative to traditional natural gas for cooling and heating and to replace fossil fuels used in electricity generation, carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced. Biogas is also a viable substitute for oil, coal and other fossil fuels for production of liquid transportation fuels. By collecting and recovering methane by capturing and recovering methane, we can stop the release of greenhouse gasses into the air and the evaporation of nitrogen that could otherwise pollute our water sources. Plessis-Gassot is a non-hazardous waste disposal in Claye-Souilly (France) for instance it captures and converts biogas into a sustainable source of energy for homes who are connected to the system. Small-scale biogas facilities can be installed in cities, allowing for the collection and utilization of local organic waste. This will help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with transportation and treatment. Hydroelectric Power Hydropower is a renewable source of energy that uses the kinetic energies of water flowing. discover here is the largest and cheapest renewable power source in the world. It releases no greenhouse gases directly, but has significant environmental impact. It is a flexible type of green energy that can easily be adapted to meet fluctuating demand and supply. Its lifespan is more than a century and it can be upgraded to improve efficiency and performance. The majority of hydropower plants harness the power of falling waters by using dams. A series of turbines converts the water's kinetic energy into electricity at a rate proportional to its velocity. This electricity is then transmitted to the electric grid for use. While building a hydroelectric power plant requires an enormous investment in dams, reservoirs and pipes, the operating costs are low. Moreover, these flexible plants are able to serve as backups to other intermittent renewable power technologies like wind and solar. Hydroelectric plants can be classified into two kinds which are storage and run of river. Storage plants have huge impoundments that can store more than one season's worth of water. Run-of-river facilities draw streams and rivers that flow freely. Hydropower facilities are usually located near concentrations of people, in areas where there is a significant demand for electricity. The environmental impact of hydropower is largely dependent on the size and location of the project, the amount of water displaced, as well as the habitats and wildlife that are affected by decomposition and flooding. These impacts can be reduced and diminished by utilizing Low Impact Hydroelectricity Standards (LIHI) for the construction and operation of hydropower project. The standards contain measures to protect the river's flow as well as water quality passage for fish and protection and aquatic ecosystems, watershed protection, threatened and endangered species, recreation and cultural resources. Some hydropower plants are also the world's largest “batteries” because they generate renewable energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir uphill to a bigger reservoir. When electricity is needed the water from the lower reservoir can be used to power generators. The water from the reservoir above is then pumped downhill by a turbine to create more electricity.